Pilot Pen notebook

Published
4:36 am EDT, Tuesday, September 1, 2009

BYE, BYE VIDEO BOARDS -- The worry over the effects of Tropical Storm Danny started right after Jose Acasuso's straight-set victory over Florent Serra Thursday night. Work crews began taking down the two giant video boards at the top of the end zones at the Connecticut Tennis Center over the potential of 50-mile per hour winds that were expected to reach Connecticut by late Friday evening. Along with a brutal Saturday forecast -- 100 percent chance of rain, which is supposed to dump upwards of one to two inches on the state -- the boards were taken down before they were blown down.

FAMILIAR FACE -- Jim Westhall, who first brought professional tennis to New Haven back in 1990 when he brought the Volvo International down from Stratton Mountain, Vt., was spotted in the media room at the Connecticut Tennis Center Friday, paying a visit to tournament director Anne Worcester and tournament chairman Mike Davies.

"Anne and Mike are doing a great job," Westhall said. "It's good to see the tournament on such strong footing."

A few years ago, Westhall, who now lives in Hale's Location, N.H., wrote a book about his tennis experiences in New Haven called "Nonsense at the Net." One of the highlights of book was the scene at the CTC in 1995 when Andre Agassi, who had just shaved his long hair and was sporting the bald look, said that if he came to New Haven and won the tournament he would shave Westhall's head. Westhall, who had a big mass of silver hair, agreed. True to his word (after a 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3 victory over Richard Krajicek) Agassi brought out a chair and a long extension cord and proceeded to shear Westhall like a sheep in front of 12,065.

DOUBLES MOVED INDOORS -- With Pilot Pen officials scrambling to find contingency plans during Friday's rain showers, the three scheduled doubles matches were all moved indoors to Yale's Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center.

"It was very similar to the outside courts, as far as speed-wise," Craybas said. "We both feel very comfortable indoors, growing up in the Northeast. It was great moving indoors, especially with the weather."

Raymond and Craybas were both missing their regular doubles partners this week and came together to play for the first time at the Pilot Pen.

"We have the same coach. We're good friends," Raymond said. The two players have practiced together in the past, but, "it's different on the doubles court, in doubles matches." Raymond said.

Because of the court's limited capacity, fans were allowed in on a first-come, first-serve basis until the place was filled.

WORDS OF WISDOM -- When the No. 8 women's player in the world wants to talk to your players, you say, "yes." And that's what Yale football coach Tom Williams did on a rainy Friday afternoon. Caroline Wozniacki spent a few minutes speaking to the members of the 2009 Bulldogs before they practiced at the Dewitt Cuyler Athletic Complex.

"Coach Williams asked me what I have been doing to reach the level I have reached so far, and I told him I always just look forward," Wozniacki said. "You never look back. Bad things are going to happen, you are going to get injured. You are going to get sick. People always have times when things aren't going their way. But I have always had my dad supporting me. He has always told me that good things happen to good people. So I have always just kept fighting and training hard. Now I am here, No. 8 in the world and e verything I have always dreamed of is coming true."

Yale fought their way to a 6-4 record, 4-3 in the Ivy League, last season.